I was lucky enough to grow up in the Bay Area, so it’s with a bit of bias that I say that San Francisco is the jewel in the Golden State’s crown. It combines all the best things about the state in one trip to California. Nature, food, art, nightlife…there are always things to do…

The sun beat down from a nearly white sky. The air was dry, the ground hot. The only shade to be found was in the ruins—colonnades with swollen pillars, towering statues of crossed-armed rulers, thick walls laden with the deep carvings of ancient kings and queens. This is Luxor, straddling the banks of the Nile,…

It looked like a giant pile of dirt. Maybe it was because of the harsh morning sun. Or the fact that we’d been traveling since 4am, coasting on 3 hours of sleep from the night before. It wasn’t until we’d followed the neatly tiled path down a sweeping curve that the famous temple—one that’s often…

I learned the phrase, “an embarrassment of riches” in a college poetry class, but I never fully understood it until we walked into the Egyptian museum. Many museums around the world have Egyptian pieces or play host to Egyptian exhibits, whether temporary or permanent. To have one stone sarcophagus, one golden mummy mask, one ancient…

Cairo is often in the American news for all the wrong reasons, but there’s more than a few reasons to dedicate a portion of your Egypt trip to Cairo. First of all, it’s huge—the largest city not just in the Middle East and Arab world, but on the continent of Africa. Nicknamed, “The City of…

With its wild moors, haunted castles, heavy mists, and ancient stone circles, Scotland has always felt thrillingly spooky to me. And as a Scorpio born the day before Halloween, there’s little wonder that this windswept country haunts my imagination. Tim and I visited Scotland two years ago, timing our visit to coincide with both my…

Country 25: Sweden | This post is part of my 30×30 series. Read more here! There are plenty of things to see in Stockholm, Sweden: but the first happens before you arrive. Flying into Arlanda gives you a fantastic view over the city, making it clear why you were right to visit Stockholm before you even…

Costa Rica is an adventurous place. It was the final stop on a multi-country backpacking tour that swooped from Cartagena through the San Blas Islands to Panama City, and ending at La Fortuna, a small touristy town north of San José that’s famous for its volcano. In fact, the town used to be named for…

Country 19: Brazil | This post is part of my 30×30 series. Read more here! Rio de Janeiro is perhaps the most awesome city I have ever visited, with heavy emphasis on the awe. It is the very definition of urban jungle, with plenty of concrete and plenty more greenery. But tucked between the beaches and…

There’s plenty to see on a trip to Paris, and countless resources trot out the same itineraries: the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre, Notre-Dame, the Louvre. Don’t get me wrong—you’ll definitely want to see those places. They’re famous for a reason, after all. But what if you want to shower some lesser known attractions with some love…